Graduate Handbook

Table of Contents APPLYING TO THE DEPARTMENT .......................................................................... 2 ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................ 2 FINANCIAL AID ........................................................................................................... 3

University Financial Assistance .......................................................................... 3 New York State Financial Assistance ................................................................. 4

Teaching Assistantships ...................................................................................... 4 CLASSIFICATION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS ...................................................... 5 TRANSFER CREDITS ................................................................................................... 5

ADVISEMENT ............................................................................................................... 6 DEGREE REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................................... 8

Master of Arts (Research Option) ............................................................................... 8

General Requirements: ........................................................................................ 8 Application to Candidacy .................................................................................... 9 Thesis Proposal Hearing ..................................................................................... 9

Thesis .................................................................................................................. 10 Oral Defense of M.A. Thesis .............................................................................. 10

Master of Arts (Applied Option) ............................................................................... 11 General Requirements: ........................................................................................ 11 Application to Candidacy .................................................................................... 12

Project ................................................................................................................. 12 Oral Defense of Project ....................................................................................... 12

Doctor of Philosophy ................................................................................................ 13 General Requirements: ........................................................................................ 13

Instructional Requirement ................................................................................... 14 Ph.D. Preliminary Examinations ......................................................................... 15

Application to Candidacy .................................................................................... 16 Dissertation Proposal Hearing............................................................................. 16 Dissertation ......................................................................................................... 16 Dissertation Format ............................................................................................. 16

Oral Defense of Doctoral Dissertation ................................................................ 17 Application to Candidacy .......................................................................................... 17 Oral Defense Policy for Masters and Theses, Projects, and Dissertations................ 18 Departmental Research Requirement ........................................................................ 19 Research Involving Human Subjects ........................................................................ 19

Requirements for Completing Degree within Specific Time Limits ........................ 19 Continuous Registration and Leaves of Absence...................................................... 19

Exceptions to Requirements ...................................................................................... 20 ACADEMIC STANDARDS .......................................................................................... 20

Satisfactory Progress toward the Degree ............................................................ 21 Academic Dishonesty.......................................................................................... 22 Department of Communication, Statement on Plagiarism .................................. 22

INFORMAL COURSES ................................................................................................. 24 ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE GRIEVANCES ............................................ 25 IMPORTANT DEADLINES .......................................................................................... 26

Graduate Handbook

1

Master's Candidates Deadlines ............................................................................ 26

Doctoral Candidates Deadlines ........................................................................... 27

GRADUATE COURSES ................................................................................................ 28 Course Formats ................................................................................................... 28

GRADUATE FACULTY ............................................................................................... 30

Graduate Handbook

2

Handbook for Graduate Students in Communication

This handbook provides prospective and enrolled graduate students in the Department of

Communication, University at Buffalo, with a detailed description of the Department and

its policies. For additional information about graduate study at the University at Buffalo

consult Graduate School Policies and Procedures at www.grad.buffalo.edu.

DISCLAIMER: The Department of Communication reserves the right to correct errors or omissions in

this Handbook to ensure policies and procedures in force on or before August 25, 2014 are reflected.

APPLYING TO THE DEPARTMENT

When selecting a university for graduate study, you should consider not only such factors

as the number of credits that must be earned, but also the spirit and academic philosophy of

the department. This handbook is designed to convey both. You may access this

handbook, all required Department and Graduate School forms, and other important

information at www.communication.buffalo.edu and www.grad.buffalo.edu.

The Department of Communication places highest priority on academic ability, including

both breadth and specialization within your chosen area of study. Because the Department

emphasizes quantitative research skills and encourages students to develop an

individualized program of study, you should carefully review this handbook to determine

whether UB’s Department of Communication will serve your academic goals. More

information is available online at www.communication.buffalo.edu If you believe the

Department is right for you, then submit your materials by uploading them onto your

application in Gradmit. The Department does not accept paper documents mailed to the

department.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Communication accepts qualified applicants without regard to race,

color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, or national origin.

The Department welcomes applications from qualified foreign nationals as well as

domestic students. International students wishing to enroll as graduate students should

consult with the Office of International Admissions, University at Buffalo, 411 Capen

Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260. Foreign students must be proficient in English. The University

offers special courses in English as a foreign language. In addition to the requirements

listed below, international applicants must document their ability to meet all educational

and personal expenses for the duration of their program of study. The University can issue

a Certificate of Visa Eligibility only after the applicant has satisfied the English

proficiency and financial requirements.

Each year the entering class of graduate students is selected from among applicants who

have

1. Sufficient breadth of undergraduate training within and outside the field of

communication and an overall undergraduate average of 3.0 or more (on a 4.0

scale).

Graduate Handbook

3

Students with majors other than communication are encouraged to apply, but

may be asked to take specific undergraduate or graduate courses to provide

needed background.

2. Satisfactorily passed the Verbal and Quantitative Aptitude Tests of the Graduate Record

Examination, typically admitted students earn a minimum of 500 (153 new version) on

the Verbal and 600 (148 new version) on the Quantitative section.

International students not educated in the United States must also obtain a

computer-based score of 100 or higher on the IBT TOEFL examination.

International students who wish to be considered for financial assistance

(Teaching Assistantships) must score 100 or higher on the IBT TOEFL and 55

or higher on the SPEAK test of oral English.

Students entering the Ph.D. program must have earned a Master’s degree that is

from an accredited university that is equivalent to the University at Buffalo and

is accepted by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate School.

Students must provide a final transcript upon fall admission. Likewise, all

students entering the Master’s program must have earned a Bachelor’s degree

and must produce a final transcript upon fall admission.

The application deadline for all students requesting financial assistance is January 15. For

international students not seeking financial assistance, the application deadline is April 1.

Domestic student applications are processed until classes begin in the fall. Admissions are

for Fall semester only. There are no Spring or Summer admissions for matriculated

students.

You may choose to enroll as a non-matriculating student through the online application

system at www.buffalo.edu/grad/admission by filling out a Non-Degree Application Form.

You can complete up to 12 hours of Communication graduate course work before you

must be evaluated for admission to the degree program. (No more than 12 non-

matriculated credit hours in Communication may be applied to your degree program.)

Please Note: Admission to the graduate program does not automatically

indicate you are a candidate for an advanced degree. You become a

candidate for a degree only after your Application to Candidacy has been

accepted by the Graduate School. As explained in the “Application to

Candidacy” section, the Application to Candidacy form is evaluated by the

Graduate School when you have completed all course requirements and, in

the case of Ph.D. students, when preliminary examination requirements

have been met and you have successfully defended a dissertation research

proposal.

FINANCIAL AID

University Financial Assistance

Graduate student applications for financial aid are administered through Student Financial

Services, Student Response Center, University at Buffalo, 232 Capen Hall, Buffalo, NY

14260. Among the programs available are the National Direct Student Loan, College

Work Study, and a variety of other loans and scholarships.

Graduate Handbook

4

New York State Financial Assistance

Legal residents of New York State (citizens of the United States or those who have made

application for citizenship) enrolled full-time in graduate study may be eligible for New

York State Tuition Assistance (TAP). Applicants who are awarded a Teaching

Assistantship are REQUIRED to apply for New York State Tuition Assistance (TAP) as

soon as they are accepted into the degree program so that scholarship monies can be

applied to their student account. All non-residents should apply for New York State

residency during their first semester of residency.

Limited awards are also available. These include the Woodburn and Presidential

fellowships, which are administered through UB’s Graduate School on the basis of

academic promise and require Departmental nomination. A limited number of Special

Merit Awards and Fellowships are also available through the Office of Public Service and

Urban Affairs.

Teaching Assistantships

A limited number of graduate teaching assistantships (TA) are awarded each year on a

competitive basis to students of exceptional merit. Typically 1-3 students a year are

awarded a teaching assistantship. Successful candidates must meet the criteria for

admission and as well as the following conditions:

1. Attain a competitive score on the GRE. Typically, TAs earn a score of 600 or

higher on both the verbal and quantitative aptitude tests of the GRE

o Students for whom English is not a native language must also score 100

or higher on the IBT TOEFL test and 55 or higher on the SPEAK test of

spoken English. The SPEAK test score requirement is a University

policy.

2. Achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale).

3. Submit any available supporting evidence of scholarly achievement such as

published papers, convention papers, classroom research papers, and so forth.

When you accept an appointment as a graduate assistant, you become a part-time staff

member with specifically assigned duties. Such duties are considered part of your training,

require about 20 hours of work a week, and are assigned in keeping with Department

needs, your ability and interests, and may consist of teaching or research tasks.

Please note that if you are a domestic (U.S.) student and are receiving any type of tuition

assistantship through the department or the University (TA, graduate assistant, research

assistant, fellow), you qualify for NewYork State residency in your second semester.

Please ensure that you apply for New York State residency, using the appropriate forms

available on the Student Response Center website, as soon as you begin your first semester

of study.

Stipends for teaching assistants average about $13,650 for the 2014-2015 academic year,

plus a tuition scholarship (excluding fees).

Graduate Handbook

5

Assistantships are awarded on a semester-to-semester basis, assuming satisfactory

performance, but you cannot receive more than four years or 72 credits (whichever occurs

first) of support. M.A. candidates are limited to a maximum of two years or 36 credits

(whichever occurs first) of support. Incoming M.A. students who are awarded a teaching

assistantship must complete the master’s degree by the end of the second year or the

teaching assistantship will be revoked. At the end of each academic year, the Director of

Graduate Studies evaluates each student’s performance and decides whether s/he should be

retain the assistantship.

Satisfactory performance is defined as

1. Exemplary performance of assigned duties;

2. Satisfactory progress toward the degree; and,

3. Maintenance of a 3.5 or higher grade point average.

Students on academic probation may not retain their assistantships. See the discussion of

"Academic Standards" later in this handbook. New York State regulations require that

recipients of assistantships complete the prescribed percentage of a full time course load

each semester.

CLASSIFICATION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS

Graduate students in good standing are those who have been accepted as such by both the

Department and the Graduate School (see “Satisfactory Progress Toward the Degree”).

The terms full-time and part-time refer to the number of credits for which you register in a

single semester. In most instances, to be considered full-time, you must register for 12

credit hours a semester. Students on a teaching or graduate assistantship are considered

full-time with nine (9) credit hours. Students who receive financial aid, including

assistantships and fellowships, must register as full-time students and show satisfactory

academic progress by completing a full load of courses each semester. Students who

register for less than 12 credits (9 credits if on an assistantship) may apply for full-time

status at the same time the Application to Candidacy has been filed with the Graduate

School.

TRANSFER CREDITS

NOTE: All transfer credits must be less than 10 years old.

The Department will accept up to six (6) credit hours of appropriate graduate courses from

other universities toward the master's degree, subject to approval by your Advisory

Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies. Only courses in which grades of ‘B’ or

better have been earned may be considered for transfer. Courses with Satisfactory (S) or

equivalent grades may be accepted, if that grade is considered by the granting university to

be equivalent to a ‘B’ grade.

For students entering the Ph.D. program with a master's degree in Communication, the

Department may accept up to 18 credit hours of appropriate graduate courses from other

Graduate Handbook

6

universities as credit toward the Ph.D. degree, subject to approval by your advisory

committee and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Students entering the doctoral program with a master's degree in an area other than

Communication, may, with consent of the Director of Graduate Studies, apply up to 18

semester hours of appropriate graduate courses toward the 72-hour minimum requirement

for the Ph.D. program.

Students must negotiate decisions about transfer credits that are less than 10 years old with

their academic advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. See, "Degree Requirements."

ADVISEMENT

A graduate degree is granted in recognition of high attainment in a particular field of study,

rather than in simple recognition of a certain number of courses taken or years in residence.

It requires independence of spirit and accomplishment but also depends upon close

collaboration between you and your academic advisor.

As a first step in fostering a spirit of close cooperation with the faculty, new students

should schedule a conference with the Director of Graduate Studies when you arrive on

campus. Within the first few weeks of the semester, you will be assigned, on a temporary

basis, to a faculty advisor. This temporary advisor will help you learn about your new

environment, and help plan a preliminary program of study. During the first semester at

UB, your temporary advisor should be a principal source of information about the

Department and the University.

In the first semester in residence you will have an opportunity to become acquainted with

the faculty and learn about each professor’s particular research abilities and interests. At

the beginning of the second semester you must select an Academic Advisor from among

the graduate faculty (see pg. 32) in the Department. You are responsible for asking a

faculty member to work with you; choose one who you think will be helpful in fulfilling

your educational goals. Many factors, particularly the large number of advisees a

professor may already have, may make it impossible for a given faculty member to accept

this role. Generally, however, there should be no difficulty in finding a faculty member to

serve as your Advisor. When a faculty member agrees to be your permanent Advisor, you

must notify the Director of Graduate Studies by completing an Advisor Selection Form,

available from the Department's Graduate Secretary.

Note: Although other graduate students can help you understand how the

program works, they are not trained advisors. You should rely solely on your

Advisor, this handbook, The Graduate School, and the Graduate Secretary for

official information about your program, its requirements, and procedures.

Your permanent Academic Advisor (also referred to as your Major Professor) is an

invaluable aid to you and you should meet with that individual on a semester by semester

basis. See your advisor for the following:

1. To discuss and plan your classes each semester.

2. To select a topic of scientific investigations suitable for the M.A. or Ph.D. degree.

Graduate Handbook

7

3. To assist you in forming an Advisory Committee to help develop a Program of Study.

It is your responsibility to obtain the consent of the faculty members who will serve

this advisory role. The Advisory Committee must be formed at the time indicated

below.. You must inform the Director of Graduate Studies about this decision by

completing the Committee Selection Form, available from the Department's Graduate

Secretary.

A. A Master's Advisory Committee must consist of your Academic Advisor and at

least one other full-time faculty member, both in the Department of

Communication. Your committee should be formed during your second

semester of residency.

B. If you are a doctoral student, your Advisory Committee must consist of at least

three full-time faculty members, including your Academic Advisor. At least

two of the Committee members must be full-time members of the Department

of Communication faculty. Your committee should be formed at the time you

prepare your Application to Candidacy.

4. To prepare and administer, with the help of the Advisory Committee, examination

through preliminary or qualifying papers. The preliminary papers will be read and

evaluated by the Advisory Committee. Any faculty member in the Department may

read the papers and provide responses to the Committee. All faculty members and

graduate students are invited to attend the oral examination of preliminary papers.

5. To assist, in consultation with your Advisory Committee, in developing thesis and

dissertation research. In some situations, the composition of the initial Advisory

Committee of a Ph.D. student may change after the qualifying papers are completed

and a different Dissertation Committee formed. This Dissertation Committee must

also consist of a minimum of three faculty members from the University at Buffalo,

two of whom must be full-time faculty members in the Department of Communication,

and the chairperson of the Committee must be a member of the graduate faculty of the

Department of Communication (see pg. 32).

6. To chair, for M.A. students, the Thesis Proposal Hearing or, for Ph.D. students, the

Dissertation Proposal Hearing.

7. To chair, for M.A. students, the oral defense-of-thesis or project, or, for Ph.D.

candidates, the oral defense-of-dissertation. The examination committee for the oral

defense-of-thesis consists of the Advisory/Thesis Committee and, if desired, other full-

time faculty members of the Department. The examination committee for the oral

defense-of-dissertation consists of the Advisory/Dissertation Committee, and other

full-time faculty members of the Department, if the student desires.

8. To keep the Department and the Graduate School informed of your progress.

As your interests develop you may wish to change your Academic Advisor and Advisory

Committee. The advisee/advisor relationship can be terminated by mutual consent (when a

new Advisor Change Form signed by the former and new advisors are submitted to the

Graduate Handbook

8

Director of Graduate Studies) or by either party through negotiation with the Director of

Graduate Studies. You are required, however, to have an Advisor at all times.

Your Academic Advisor's major function is to assist you by way of providing advice.

Your Advisor should be neither an authoritarian prescriber of your behavior nor a mere

"rubber stamp." Ultimately, students are responsible for their own education. You should

meet with your Advisor at least once a semester to receive guidance, and before beginning

and as you work on your thesis, project, or dissertation. Under the best of circumstances,

the relationship with your Advisor should be that of two scholars interacting with mutual

trust and respect.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Specific requirements for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are discussed on the following

pages. Completion of the minimum number of courses does not guarantee that a degree

will be awarded. You must develop a coherent and defensible program of study that meets

the approval of your Advisory Committee, the Department, and the Graduate School.

Please Note: The M.A. Degree in Communication prepares students for research

careers or for a doctoral program. There is an Applied Option, used rarely, for

students who terminate their graduate study at the master’s degree level. Most

students complete a thesis as a part of their master’s degree program whereas in the

Applied Option, there is a final project.

Master of Arts (Research Option)

General Requirements:

The Master of Arts requires successful completion of a minimum of 36 semester hours

of graduate course work, with a minimum QPA of 3.0 and a thesis. Normally, it is a

two-year program of study. Specifically, the Master of Arts degree requires:

1. Successful completion of an individualized program of study. The program is

placed on the Application to Candidacy form and must be approved by your

Advisory Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, the Divisional Committee,

and the Graduate School. In the case where the Director of Graduate Studies is the

student’s Advisor, the Department Chair must approve the Application to

Candidacy. Your program of study must meet the following requirements:

A. Successful completion of the Communication core courses (15 credit hours)

with a minimum of a ‘B’ grade in each class, unless noted otherwise:

a. COM 500 (Proseminar in Communication) – Graded on a S/U basis,

b. COM 504 (Quantitative Foundations of Communication),

c. COM 515 (Communication Theories),

d. COM 517 (Theoretical Foundations of Communication), and,

e. COM 518 (Research Methods in Communication).

f. International students are required to successfully complete

ESL 512, Communication Foreign TA, during the first semester in

residency. Students who have attended another university where

English is the language of instruction may petition the Director of

Graduate Studies for exemption from this requirement. This

decision is based, in part, on the student’s TOEFL and SPEAK test

Graduate Handbook

9

scores. ESL 512, although required, does not count as credit toward

your Communication degree program.

COM 500, COM 504, COM 515, and ESL 512 (for

international students) are required during the first

semester in residency. (ESL 512 may not be counted as

credit toward your Communication degree program)

COM 517 and COM 518 are required during the second

semester in residency.

The general content of the core courses is explained in

the handbook section under the heading, "Core Courses."

B. Completion of at least 21 additional graduate hours, at least nine (9) of which

must be Departmental courses. These should be selected with the counsel of

your Advisory Committee. A maximum of six (6) hours of graduate credit

earned at another university may be applied toward the M.A. degree with the

approval of your Advisory Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Departmental limits on informal courses must also be respected. (See “Informal

Courses - Limits,” p. 26).

C. Successful completion of the Thesis Proposal Hearing. (See “Thesis Proposal

Hearing” below.)

D. Successful completion of a thesis. Up to three credit hours of COM 700 (Thesis

Guidance), representing thesis research and writing, may be counted toward the

36 credit hour course requirement as informal course credit.

E. Successful completion of an oral defense-of-thesis examination. (See "Thesis"

and "Oral Defense of Thesis" pg. 12)

2. Timely observance of other Graduate School requirements including the

Application to Candidacy, submission of thesis copies to the Graduate School, and

completion of an M-form (prepared by the graduate secretary), go to

www.grad.buffalo.edu for detailed information including policies, procedures, and

deadlines.

Application to Candidacy

To become a candidate for an advanced degree you must submit, for Departmental and

Graduate School approval, a program of study consisting of a coherent list of graduate

courses that have, or will have, been taken and a title of the projected thesis. You can

obtain the required Application to Candidacy forms from the Graduate School web site

at www.grad.buffalo.edu. (See Application to Candidacy on pg. 18)

Thesis Proposal Hearing

Prior to beginning your thesis research and before submitting an Application to

Candidacy form, M.A. students must present to their Advisory Committee a thesis

Graduate Handbook

10

research proposal. This proposal is presented in a Proposal Hearing, chaired by your

Major Professor. The meeting is open to interested faculty members and graduate

students.

Thesis

A thesis embodying the results of original investigation forms a part of the program of

each master’s degree student. The Major Professor in consultation with your Advisory

Committee directs the thesis on an ongoing basis. It is your responsibility to provide

drafts of your work as it is developed to your Major Professor (your Major Professor

will work with you and instruct you when you should share your materials with the rest

of the Advisory Committee). Your Advisory Committee and the Department must

approve the thesis.

If your thesis research involves human subjects, you must obtain approval from the

Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board (see "Research Involving

Human Subjects"). Without this approval, the Graduate School will not accept your

thesis.

The thesis must be written in standard English, following the canons of organization,

presentation, and documentation prescribed for publication in Communication journals

(i.e., American Psychological Association Style Manual). It must meet the same

stylistic standards that are required of a dissertation. The Graduate School requirements

on thesis format are available in the Guidelines for Graduation and Thesis and

Dissertation Preparation, available from the Graduate School at www.grad.buffalo.edu.

Oral Defense of M.A. Thesis

The Oral Defense of Thesis is open to the public. After your M.A. thesis has been

approved by your Advisory Committee, the oral defense is scheduled by your Major

Professor or his/her delegate and is attended by members of your Advisory Committee.

Other faculty members and graduate students of the University may attend.

On the basis of the oral defense, the Advisory Committee may elect to accept the thesis

as is, require revisions, or reject it outright. If rejected, the thesis must be revised and a

second oral defense scheduled. No more than two defenses of the thesis are allowed.

Failure to successfully defend the thesis will result in dismissal from the graduate

program.

If you successfully defend the thesis (and meet all other Departmental and University

requirements), the Graduate School will be notified and, upon receipt of the M-Forms

and revised copies of the thesis, will award the M.A. degree to you.

After the Oral Defense of the Thesis, bound or electronic copies of the thesis must be

presented to your Major Professor, Committee, and a bound copy to the Department. It

is recommended that copies be bound in boards covered with black imitation leather,

with the title and author's name on the front in gold and the author's last name, degree,

and year of conferral of the degree on the spine (also in gold).

Graduate Handbook

11

Master of Arts (Applied Option)

General Requirements:

The Master of Arts in the Program in Applied Communication is offered for special

circumstances and requires successful completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours of

graduate course work, with a minimum QPA of 3.0 and a final project. Normally, it is a

two-year program of study. Specifically, the Applied Master of Arts requires

1. Successful completion of an individualized program of study in Communication.

The program is placed on the Application to Candidacy form and must be approved

by your Advisory Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate

School. Your program of study must meet the following requirements:

A. Successful completion of the following required courses (12 credit hours)

with a minimum grade of ‘B’ in each:

a. COM 500 (Proseminar in Communication),

b. COM 504 (Quantitative Foundations of Communication),

c. COM 515 (Communication Theories), and,

d. One additional graduate level methods course.

e. International students are required to successfully complete

ESL 512, Communication Foreign TA, during the first semester

in residency. Students who have attended another university

where English is the language of instruction may petition the

Director of Graduate Studies for exemption from this

requirement. This decision is based, in part, on the student’s

TOEFL and SPEAK test scores. ESL 512, although required,

does not count as credit toward your Communication degree

program.

COM 500, COM 504 and COM 515 are required during

the first semester in residency plus ESL 512 for

international students (ESL 512 may not be counted as

credit toward your Communication degree program).

A methods course required during the second semester.

The general content of the three required Communication

core courses is explained below under the heading "Core

Courses."

B. Completion of 15 hours in Communication with a specialized

concentration approved by the student’s committee. Sample projects may

be borrowed for a short time from the Department’s Graduate

Secretary. Departmental limits on informal courses must also be respected

(See “Informal Courses - Limits,” p. 26).

C. Successful completion of at least nine (9) additional credit hours either

within or outside the department. The departmental limit on informal

courses must also be respected. (See “Informal Courses - Limits,” p. 26).

D. Successful completion of a final project. Projects may include web site or

computer software development, the implementation of a communication

Graduate Handbook

12

program or technology, or applied communication research. Your Major

Professor, in consultation with your Advisory Committee, directs the

project on an ongoing basis. It is your responsibility to provide drafts of

your work to your Major Professor for feedback.

E. Successful completion of your Oral Defense of the Project, no later

than the expected date of graduation. See “Oral Defense” and “Master’s

Thesis” below.

2. Timely observance of other Graduate School requirements including the

Application to Candidacy, and completion of an M-form (See Graduate School

Policies and Procedures at www.grad.buffalo.edu for detailed information including

deadlines).

Application to Candidacy

To become a candidate for an advanced degree you must submit, for Departmental and

Graduate School approval, a program of study consisting of a coherent list of graduate

courses that have, or will have, been taken and a title of the projected project. You can

obtain the required Application to Candidacy forms from the Graduate School web site

at www.grad.buffalo.edu. (See Application to Candidacy on pg. 18)

Project

A final project embodying the results of original investigation forms a part of the

program of each master’s degree student. Your Major Professor in consultation with

your Advisory Committee directs the project on an ongoing basis. It is your

responsibility to provide drafts of your work as it is developed to your Major Professor

(your Major Professor will work with you and instruct you when you should share your

materials with the rest of the Advisory Committee). Your Advisory Committee and the

Department must approve the final project.

If your final project involves human subjects, you must obtain approval from the Social

and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board (see "Research Involving Human

Subjects"). Without this approval, your project cannot be accepted.

The project must be written in standard English, following the canons of organization,

presentation, and documentation prescribed for publication in Communication journals

(i.e., American Psychological Association Style Manual) or in an appropriate format

prescribed by your Advisory Committee.

Oral Defense of Project

After your M.A. Project has been approved by your Committee, the oral defense is

scheduled by your Major Professor or his/her delegate and is attended by members of

your Advisory Committee. Other faculty members and graduate students of the

University may attend.

Graduate Handbook

13

If you successfully defend the project (and have met all other Departmental and

University requirements), the Graduate School will be notified and, upon receipt of the

M-Forms, will award the M.A. degree to you.

If you are unsuccessful in the defense, the project must be revised and a second oral

defense scheduled. No more than two defenses of your project are allowed. Failure to

successfully defend the project will result in dismissal from the graduate program.

After the Oral Defense of the Project, bound or electronic copies of the project must be

presented to your Major Professor, Committee, and bound copy to the Department. It is

recommended that copies be bound in boards covered with black imitation leather, with

the title and author's name on the front in gold and the author's last name, degree, and

year of conferral of the degree on the spine (also in gold).

Doctor of Philosophy

General Requirements:

The Ph.D. degree involves the successful completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours

of course work beyond the M.A. degree (a minimum of 72 hours beyond the Bachelor's

degree, of which a minimum of 50 hours must be in Communication), with a QPA of

3.0 or higher; a written preliminary examination with an oral defense; and a dissertation

with an oral defense. Students who have earned a U.B. Communication M.A. need only

36 credit hours beyond the M.A. to make up the 72 credit hours. Students with an M.A.

degree from another University which has been deemed to be the equivalent of the UB

M.A. will be allowed to transfer in no more than 18 credit hours (subject to approval by

the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate School), with the remainder of the 72

hours being completed at U.B. Specific requirements are described below:

1. Successful completion of an individualized program of study in Communication.

The program is placed on the Application to Candidacy form and must be approved

by your Advisory Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate

School. Your program of study must meet the following requirements:

A. A Master's Degree

B. Successful completion of a minimum of 50 graduate hours of Communication

courses. The following five core courses (15 credit hours) must be completed

with a minimum grade of ‘B’ in each course:

a. COM 500 (Proseminar in Communication),

b. COM 504 (Quantitative Foundations of Communication),

c. COM 515 (Communication Theories),

d. COM 517 (Theoretical Foundations of Communication),

and,

e. COM 518 (Research Methods in Communication)

COM 500, COM 504 and COM 515 are required during

the first semester in residency plus ESL 512 for

international students (ESL 512 may not be used as credit

toward your Communication degree program).

COM 517 and COM 518 are required during the second

semester.

Graduate Handbook

14

The general content of the core courses is explained

below under the heading "Core Courses."

C. Successful completion of a minor area of concentration (QPA of 3.0 or more),

consisting of a minimum of nine (9) graduate hours of courses taken outside the

Communication Department. Your Advisory Committee will make the

determination of what constitutes a minor. Departmental limits on informal

courses must also be respected (See “Informal Courses - Limits,” p. 26).

D. Successful completion of the Departmental instructional requirement. All Ph.D.

students are required to fulfill a one course instructional requirement, which may

be satisfied either through assumption of primary teaching responsibility for an

undergraduate class or by assisting a professor teaching a course (see below).

E. An additional research methods or statistics course. This may be a

communication course, or from cognate area (e.g., health, social psychology,

social networks, management information systems, and so forth).

F. Successful completion of two publication-quality papers which serve as your

preliminary examinations and the oral defense of those papers at least two

semesters prior to the expected date of graduation.

G. Successful completion of a Dissertation Proposal Hearing (See “Dissertation

Proposal Hearing,” pg. 17).

H. Successful completion of a dissertation (See "Dissertation," pg. 17). Up to three

(3) credit hours of COM 700 (Thesis Guidance), representing dissertation

research and writing, may be counted toward the 72 credit hour course

requirement.

I. Oral defense of the dissertation, not later than seven weeks before the

expected date of graduation.

2. Timely observance of other Graduate School requirements including the

Application to Candidacy, submission of dissertation copies to the Graduate School,

and completion of an M-form (See Graduate School Policies and Procedures at

www.grad.buffalo.edu for detailed information including deadlines).

Instructional Requirement

In addition to course and research requirements, all doctoral students are required to

gain instructional experience. Teaching experience is valuable not only to those

entering academia, it is also helpful to those who plan other careers in that you must

organize the knowledge you have learned and sharpen your communication skills.

The one course instructional requirement may be satisfied if you assume primary

teaching responsibility for an undergraduate course section or by assisting a professor in

teaching a course for credit through COM 599, Supervised Teaching. Funded Teaching

Assistants meet the instuctional requirement via their TA course assignment. TAs,

however, cannot apply COM 599, Supervised Teaching, as credit for classes assigned as

a part of their TA duties. Students with prior Communication-related teaching

experience may petition the faculty for exemption from the instructional requirement.

Your Advisory Committee is responsible for monitoring completion of this

requirement. The course professor, who will notify your Advisory Committee when the

Graduate Handbook

15

requirement has been completed, will evaluate your performance as a teacher or

assistant during the semester in which you are fulfilling this requirement.

Prior to teaching or assisting in a particular course, you will likely be required to sit in

on the course, attend instructor's meetings, and help with assignments, present lectures,

and so forth. If you wish to fulfill the requirement by teaching in the COM 101 course,

you must have permission of the Director of Graduate Studies and complete the COM

101 training session offered to teaching assistants before the start of the Fall semester.

If your Advisory Committee believes you may be unable to manage primary

responsibility for an undergraduate course section or fulfill the various responsibilities

of an instructional assistant, you may petition the Director of Graduate Studies to

substitute an equivalent experience, to be determined by your Advisory Committee

Ph.D. Preliminary Examinations

The Ph.D. preliminary examination is a written and oral examination designed to

determine your understanding of an area of concentration and ability to independently

perform publishable research. The exam consists of writing and orally defending two

monographs that your Advisory Committee deems suitable for publication in the

journals of the field. The papers should be within your area of concentration and

demonstrate your theoretical and/or methodological ability. Preliminary papers are

independent of the dissertation. That is, they are not a substitute for a dissertation

proposal, nor should they duplicate the proposal. Occasionally, the content of the

papers may become a section or chapter of the dissertation.

You and your Advisory Committee determine the precise form and subject matter of the

preliminary papers. After topics are selected, students may be required to prepare a

rationale for the papers that may include a preliminary literature review and

methodology specification. Keeping in mind the goal of publication, this proposal

should not exceed five pages. Finished monographs should fall within the range of 25-

35 pages before references, tables, and appendices.

The Advisory Committee may make one of the following determinations:

1. You pass the examination and are admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D.

degree.

2. You do not pass the written and/or oral part of the examination, but are

given a conditional pass providing that you rewrite the preliminary papers

and present them to the faculty. The Advisory Committee may require

additional course work.

3. You do not successfully pass the written and/or oral parts of the

examination and are provided the opportunity to be re-examined over all or

parts of the monographs. Under no circumstances will you be allowed to

present your preliminary papers to the faculty more than twice.

Graduate Handbook

16

4. You do not pass the written and/or oral parts of the examination on your

second attempt and are not admitted to candidacy. Your status as a

graduate student in the Department is terminated.

Application to Candidacy

To become a candidate for an advanced degree you must submit, for Departmental and

Graduate School approval, a program of study consisting of a coherent list of graduate

courses that have, or will have, been taken and a title of the projected dissertation. You

can obtain the required Application to Candidacy forms from the Graduate School web

site at www.grad.buffalo.edu. (See Application to Candidacy on pg. 18)

Dissertation Proposal Hearing

You must prepare a proposal for your dissertation research and defend that proposal in a

formal hearing before your Advisory Committee. Your dissertation proposal defense

may occur at the same time as the defense of the preliminary papers, but is not required.

This meeting is open to interested faculty members and graduate students.

Dissertation

For each Ph.D. candidate, the University and the Department require a dissertation that

embodies the results of original investigation. Your Major Advisor and Advisory

Committee direct the dissertation. (See “Advisement” for details about the composition

of the dissertation Advisory Committee.) On an ongoing basis, you should provide

drafts of your work to your Major Professor . When your Major Professor determines

the dissertation is in acceptable condition, he or she will ask you to share copies with

your committee. The dissertation must be approved by your Advisory Committee and

the Department. The Advisory Committee evaluates, offers criticisms, and

recommends changes in the dissertation or additional work, if appropriate.

An electronic copy of the revised dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School

after you have successfully completed the dissertation and passed the Oral Defense.

Your Major Advisor, Advisory Committee, and the Department must also receive

bound copies.

Dissertation Format

All dissertations in the Department of Communication must be written in standard

English, following the canons of organization, presentation, and documentation

prescribed for publication in communication journals (i.e., American Psychological

Association Style Manual). The Graduate School requirements for dissertation format

are available in the Guidelines for Graduation and Theses and Dissertation Preparation,

available from the Graduate School, www.grad.buffalo.edu.

Graduate Handbook

17

Oral Defense of Doctoral Dissertation

The Oral Defense of Dissertation is open to the public. It is scheduled by the Major

Advisor or his/her delegate and is attended by your Major Advisor and Advisory

Committee after your dissertation has been approved by the Committee. Other faculty

members and graduate students are invited to attend.

On the basis of the oral defense, the Advisory Committee may elect to accept the

dissertation as is, require revisions, or reject it outright. If rejected, the dissertation

must be revised and a second oral defense scheduled. No more than two defenses of the

dissertation are allowed. Failure to successfully defend the dissertation will result in

dismissal from the graduate program.

If you successfully defend the dissertation (and meet all other Departmental and

University requirements), the Graduate School will be notified and, upon receipt of the

M-form, dissertation abstract, one copy of the revised dissertation, and survey,

microfilming, and Student Accounts forms, will award the Ph.D. degree to you.

After the Oral Defense-of-the-Dissertation, bound copies of the dissertation must be

presented to your Major Professor, Committee, and the Department. It is recommended

that copies be bound in boards covered with black imitation leather, with the title and

author's name on the front in gold and the author's last name, degree, and year of

conferral of the degree on the spine (also in gold).

Application to Candidacy

To become a candidate for an advanced degree you must submit, for Departmental and

Graduate School approval, a program of study consisting of a coherent list of graduate

courses that have, or will have, been taken and a title of the projected thesis or project (for

an M.A. student) or a title of the projected dissertation (for a Ph.D. student). You can

obtain the required Application to Candidacy forms from the Graduate School web site at

www.grad.buffalo.edu. Your Application to Candidacy must include a description of any

"informal" courses taken (See “Informal” Courses). After completing the Application to

Candidacy form online and printing it, you must submit it to the Department’s graduate

secretary, who will attach original transcripts and original informal course forms and

submit it to the Graduate School for processing.

The Program of Study, reflected on your Application to Candidacy form, is not simply a

collection of courses, but is fashioned so that courses, seminars, and research form a clear,

coherent pattern of study leading to the degree.

For both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, the Application to Candidacy form is required. M.A.

students usually file the Application to Candidacy after three semesters of full-time

enrollment. Ph.D. students typically file after completion of required coursework. See

Graduate School Policies and Procedures, at www.grad.buffalo.edu for additional

information.

The tentative program of study, recorded on the Application to Candidacy form, should be

filed in the Department office for use by you and your advisor, and should always be kept

up to date (a petition must be completed when you make changes to your program of

Graduate Handbook

18

study). If objectives are clear from the outset, you will not need to make major revisions in

the program. A major revision may mean that courses appropriate to the first program are

inappropriate to the second and additional time to complete the degree may be necessary.

Of course, objectives are not always clear, and they may be modified as a result of

increased familiarity with the discipline. In either case, some modification of the initial

program may be necessary, but a firm program should be developed as soon as possible.

Oral Defense Policy for Masters and Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As noted in the appropriate sections above, each masters thesis, project and doctoral

dissertation must be orally defended by the candidate before it is approved and must be

scheduled according to the instructions below. After the Major Professor has approved

your thesis or dissertation, you must deliver to the Advisory Committee a final version of

the thesis or dissertation. This final copy of your thesis or dissertation should be provided

to your Committee at least one month (four weeks) before the defense is scheduled with

the Graduate Secretary. A defense may be scheduled sooner if the Advisory Committee

determines the final version is defendable. The thesis/dissertation is to be free of

grammatical and typographical errors and is to be complete in every sense, including title

page, table of contents, abstract, text, references, tables, figures, appendices, and any other

necessary components. The candidate must consult with each Committee member in

advance to determine whether a paper or electronic copy is preferred.

If, at the end of the review period, the Committee finds the thesis/dissertation defendable,

then the Advisor schedules the defense at a time convenient for the Committee. The

Advisor may designate a representative (usually the student) to make arrangements for the

oral defense with the Graduate Secretary. If a designate is used, the Advisor must alert the

Graduate Secretary to this fact. The date and time of the defense must be acceptable to the

Committee members and must be held no earlier than one week from the time of

scheduling. At the time of scheduling, the candidate must provide the Graduate Secretary

with the title of the work and an electronic copy of the abstract. The Major Professor or

Graduate Secretary will disseminate these items to the interested community, along with

the time, date, and place of the defense.

Alternatively, if at the end of the one month period any Committee member finds the

thesis/dissertation to be not ready for an oral defense, the Committee may require

revisions. In such a case, the additional time needed to complete the revisions and to give

the Committee adequate time to review the revised work will be negotiated on a case-by-

case basis.

If circumstances warrant (illness, leaves, sabbaticals, unforeseen circumstances, for

example), a Committee member may require a reading period longer than one month.

Please note that this policy will require students to deliver the thesis/dissertation to the

Committee well in advance of any Graduate School deadlines. Consult the Graduate

School's Policies and Procedures manual for Graduate School deadlines.

As stated in prior sections, after the Oral Defense-of-the-Thesis, Project or Dissertation,

bound copies must be presented to your Major Professor, Committee members, and the

Department. It is recommended that copies be bound in boards covered with black

Graduate Handbook

19

imitation leather, with the title and author's name on the front in gold and the author's last

name, degree, and year of conferral of the degree on the spine (also in gold).

Departmental Research Requirement

As part of graduate degree requirements, you should become involved in your advisor’s

research activities. Department faculty members believe that active participation in

research is a valuable learning experience for all who plan a career in academia, private

industry, or the public sector. For a description of the intent behind the research

requirement and its academic justification see, G.R. Miller (1979), "Research Team

Concept: An Approach to Graduate Training," Communication Education, Volume 28.

During your graduate career, you are encouraged to participate in research, either with

your Advisor or with some other faculty member. COM 600 credits may be earned in this

activity as determined by you and your Advisor (see “Informal Courses - Limits,” p. 22).

Research Involving Human Subjects

The University has established procedures and committees to ensure compliance with

regulations concerning research involving human subjects. The Department and the

University require that no research on humans place the person at risk without prior

informed consent. Prior approval for all research involving human subjects must be

obtained from the Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board,

www.wings.buffalo.edu/cas/dean/hsrc.

Requirements for Completing Degree within Specific Time Limits

For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, you are allowed seven (7) years to progress from

first enrollment in a U.B. graduate program to completion of the doctoral degree. For the

Master's degree, the time limit is four (4) years. These time frames exclude those periods

of time when you are/were on an official leave of absence. (See "Continuous Registration

and Leaves of Absence," below.)

If you do not complete a degree program within the time limits, you may petition the

Department and the Graduate School for an extension of time.

Continuous Registration and Leaves of Absence

Registration information is available on the University at Buffalo Student Response Center

web site, www.studentresponse.buffalo.edu.

As a graduate student, you must register (and pay all un-waived tuition and fees) for a

minimum of one credit hour each fall and spring semester until all requirements for your

degree are completed. The Graduate School considers degree requirements to be

completed when it has received the following items before the specified deadline dates

reported in the Graduate School Policies & Procedures booklet:

Master's Candidates:

An approved Application to Candidacy form;

An M-Form signed by the Director of Graduate Studies and Advisory

Committee members (the M-Form indicates that you have met Departmental

and University requirements and is prepared by the graduate secretary);

Graduate Handbook

20

Successful completion of the oral defense-of-thesis examination; and,

An electronic copy of the thesis.

Doctoral Candidates:

An approved Application to Candidacy form;

Successful oral defense of dissertation;

An M-Form signed by your Dissertation Committee and the Director of

Graduate Studies; (the M-Form indicates that you have met Departmental and

University requirements and is prepared by the graduate secretary);

One electronic copy of the dissertation and abstract (bound copies of the

dissertation are presented to the Department and Major Professor); and,

Survey, microfilming, and student account forms.

Continuous registration is mandatory until these requirements are met.

If continuous registration becomes impossible or inappropriate at any time, a leave of

absence may be sought from the University. You can request a leave by completing a

Graduate Student Petition form, which can be obtained on the Graduate School web site,

www.grad.buffalo.edu. Otherwise you will need to withdraw from the Graduate School.

Requests for a leave of absence should be negotiated through the Director of Graduate

Studies and approved by the Graduate School. Normally, leaves are for one year;

however, it is possible for the leave to be extended if circumstances warrant. In the event

that you voluntarily terminate registration, this action affects a review for readmission.

You must register for a minimum of one credit hour (COM 700 Thesis Guidance) in the

fall or spring semester immediately prior to your June 1 or February 1 degree conferral. It

is NOT automatic and must be requested in writing (e-mail) to the Graduate Secretary;

failure to do this may result in full time status being compromised and is especially

important for teaching assiststants – both domestic and international who may not have

their tuition scholarship monies applied to their account or may put their F-1 visa in

jeopardy because of falling below the full time requirement of 9 credits. It is not necessary

to register for one credit hour during the summer semester immediately prior to a

September 1st conferral date.

Exceptions to Requirements

Exceptions to some of the requirements described in this handbook can be made with the

consent of the faculty. If you would like an exception, you should discuss the proposed

exception with your Major Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies and then submit

a formal petition to the faculty.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Grading procedures are described in detail in the University at Buffalo Graduate School

Policies and Procedures at www.grad.buffalo.edu. Those procedures are summarized here:

1. Only grades of ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ (with appropriate pluses and minuses) and ‘S’ are

considered passing grades. In calculating Quality Point Averages (QPA), ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’,

Graduate Handbook

21

‘D’, and ‘F’ grades carry quality points from 4.0 to 0. ‘U’ grades are treated as ‘F’

grades, and carry 0 quality points. ‘S’ grades do not contribute to the QPA, but, are

awarded for work comparable to that earning ‘A’ or ‘B’ grades.

2. Incomplete (‘I’) grades indicate that additional work is needed to fulfill course

requirements. Incompletes are given rarely and solely at the discretion of the

instructor. If you, for illness or some other compelling reason, have been absent from

the final examination or have not completed all of the assigned work, you may request

an incomplete grade from your instructor. Assignment of an incomplete grade is at the

discretion of the instructor and for a specific time frame, not to exceed 12 months.

If an ‘I’ grade is received, you must complete the necessary work according to

the time frame given by your instructor. If course requirements are not

completed by that date, the instructor will change your grade to an

Unsatisfactory (‘U’) grade or the University will automatically change the

incomplete to an Unsatisfactory (‘U’) grade at the end of 12 months.

Students receiving financial aid (see "Financial Aid") are required to complete a

prescribed percentage of a full-time course load each semester. Incomplete

courses are not considered to be completed courses.

The University does not permit your instructor to change a grade after 12

months. Therefore, you should verify that your transcripts reflect any grade

changes.

3. Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit. The Department does not accept

undergraduate courses toward the 36 credit hours required for the M.A. degree or

the 72 credit hours required for the Ph.D. degree.

Satisfactory Progress toward the Degree

To be considered in academic good standing, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Maintain an overall QPA of at least 3.0 (an average of “B” or higher) each

semester. Grades of “D” or below are not accepted in fulfilling requirements for

advanced degrees. Teaching Assistants and Fellows must maintain an overall QPA

of 3.5 each semester.

2. Maintain a QPA of 3.0 or higher (with grades of “U” being computed the same as

an “F”) in Communication courses and a 3.0 QPA in courses taken outside the

Department. In cases where a failing grade is earned, the grade remains on the

record and is factored into the student’s GPA. Repeating a course will remove the

intial grade from being computed in the student’s GPA.

3. Must have a grade of “B” or better in any required core course.

4. Must have no more than six (6) credit hours of Incomplete (“I”) grades at any time.

5. Satisfactorily perform research and instructional obligations.

6. Make satisfactory progress toward the degree as judged by your Advisory

Committee, and by adequately fulfilling Departmental and University obligations.

At the discretion of the faculty, students failing to meet these standards will be placed on

academic probation. Students placed on academic probation will be notified in writing.

The probation letter will describe the specific steps you must take in order to be removed

Graduate Handbook

22

from probation. If these tasks are not accomplished within the specified timetable, then the

student will be dismissed from the program.

Students who attain a grade of “B-” or lower in any required core course will be subject to

Departmental review. Upon completion of the review, and in consultation with the course

instructor, the student may be required to complete additional work, to repeat the course, or

may be placed on academic probation as deemed appropriate by the Department.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty (including submission of materials previously submitted to another

course without prior and express consent of the instructor, plagiarism, cheating on exams,

etc.) may be grounds for immediate dismissal from the Department, following appropriate

University review (See “Statement on Plagiarism,” below).

Department of Communication, Statement on Plagiarism

The Department of Communication takes academic integrity seriously, and will not

tolerate plagiarism or any other form of cheating. You commit plagiarism when you make

use of others' work without proper attribution. Any time you use someone's unique ideas,

you must properly cite the printed, electronic, or other source of that work. If you use a

phrase (any non-obvious combination of a few words) from another person's work, you

must also place these words within quotation marks and cite the source. You must turn in

your own original work for an assignment. You may not, except with explicit permission

from your instructor, turn in work that has been turned in for other classes. During

examinations and other assignments you must present your own work, and must follow all

of the rules provided by the instructor or other administrators in the class. Plagiarism and

other forms of cheating, even if unintentional, will result in sanctions that can include an F

in the class and a notation in your academic record. The instructor has the further ability to

press charges and impose sanctions at the University level, up to and including expulsion.

In addition, if you are aware that another student in the class is guilty of academic

dishonesty, and fail to inform the instructor, you are also subject to sanctions.

If you are unsure whether something constitutes cheating or plagiarism, please approach

your instructor before turning in your work. Your instructor will help you to understand

how to avoid academic dishonesty. For further information, these resources on proper

citation and how to avoid plagiarism may be of assistance:

UB Statement on academic integrity

(www.ub-judiciary.buffalo.edu/art3a.shtml#integrity)

Writing With Sources (www.fas.harvard.edu/~expos/sources/)

Plagiarism Defined

(www.turnitin.com/research_site/e_what_is_plagiarism.html)

Plagiary and the Art of Skillful Citation (www.bcm.tmc.edu/immuno/citewell/)

Using Sources

(www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/usingsources.html)

Graduate Handbook

23

THE CORE COURSES

1. COM 500 (Proseminar in Communication Theory and Research). Provides first-year

graduate students an overview of research foci in the field of communication. Students

read exemplary research articles and learn different contexts of study in

communication. Faculty and graduate student research is periodically presented to

students for critical evaluation. (Professor Junhao Hong)

2. COM 504 (Quantitative Foundations of Communication). This course introduces the

Communication graduate student to the mathematical and statistical tools integral to

the formulation of rigorous theory and the quantitative analysis of data. The course

begins with mathematical fundamentals followed by a discussion of data, variables,

SPSS, probability, and descriptive and inferential statistics. (Professor Thomas Feeley)

3. COM 515 (Communication Theories). This course is the first of two courses that

introduce the graduate student to theory testing and theoretical development in

communication. In addition to learning fundamentals of theory, students will be

exposed to classic theories in communication and social science.

(Professor Helen Wang)

4. COM 517 (Theoretical Foundations of Communication). This is the sequel course to

COM 515 and covers essential and influential theories in human communication. The

course also introduces an array of research studies that appropriately test communica-

tion theories. (Professor Michael Stefanone)

5. COM 518 (Research Methods in Communication). Covers measurement, reliability

and validity, sampling, methods of data collection (surveys, experiments, observational

methods, secondary analysis of existing data), the library as a research tool, data

processing and analysis. (Professor Arun Vishwanath)

Graduate Handbook

24

INFORMAL COURSES

The Department of Communication offers four informal courses at the graduate level:

Supervised Teaching (COM 599), Independent Study (COM 600), Internships (COM 624),

and Thesis Guidance (COM 700). You must have instructor approval before enrolling in

any of these courses.

Informal Course Forms – Descriptions of informal courses (except COM 700) must be

appended to your Application to Candidacy Form. Forms for that purpose are available

from the Graduate Secretary. The description must include a statement of the course work,

including assigned reading materials, a description of how the course was evaluated, and

the signatures of both the student and the instructor.

Limits – M.A. candidates may apply no more than three (3) credit hours of informal

courses toward the M.A. degree (excluding COM 700 – Thesis Guidance).

Ph.D. candidates may apply no more than fifteen (15) credit hours of informal courses

(excluding COM 700 -- Thesis Guidance) toward the Ph.D. degree. Supervised Teaching

(COM 599) credits are included in the 15 credit hours along with any credits earned in

informal courses as a part of the M.A. degree. Please note: You may apply no more than

three (3) credits of COM 700 toward the doctoral degree.

Informal Course Grades – Informal courses are graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

basis. In the Department, ‘S’ grades are awarded only for graduate work that is considered

by the instructor to be of ‘B’ or higher quality.

COM 599 (Supervised Teaching).

Provides the opportunity for students to gain teaching experience. Students wishing to

enroll in COM 599 must negotiate the teaching assignment with their Major Professor and

the Department, and complete an Informal Course Form. The Informal Course Form must

include a statement of the course work, including textbooks and other assigned materials, a

description of how the course was evaluated, and the signatures of both the student and the

instructor. COM 599 is graded on a Satisfactory (‘S’) or Unsatisfactory (‘U’) basis. No

more than three (3) credits of Supervised Teaching can be applied to the degree program.

COM 600 (Independent Study).

Provides students with the opportunity to receive individualized attention as a research

apprentice. COM 600 provides students with the opportunity to pursue academic study in

areas in which there are no formal courses. Independent studies may take several forms:

Directed readings in a particular area,

Independent research on a question of interest to a student, or,

Collaborative research with a faculty member.

To enroll in COM 600 you must complete an Informal Course Form. You can obtain the

form from the Department Graduate Secretary. The Informal Course Form must include a

statement of the course work, including textbooks and other assigned materials, a

description of how the course was evaluated, and the signatures of both the student and the

instructor. COM 600 is graded on a Satisfactory (‘S’) or Unsatisfactory (‘U’) basis.

Graduate Handbook

25

COM 624 (Internship).

Provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a variety of situations

(teaching, public relations, advertising, management, media, and so forth) by engaging in

supervised, usually unpaid, activities in a business or social organization. With the

approval of your Academic Advisor, you may arrange your own internship or the

Department may assist you in identifying an internship.

After your Academic Advisor approves the internship, you must complete an Informal

Course Form describing the proposed activity and its relevance to your program goals and

have the form signed by your Advisor. (The Informal Course Form can be obtained from

the Graduate Secretary.) A description of the internship must be appended to the

Application to Candidacy.

You must also develop a written contract with your Academic Advisor and the person who

will serve as your supervisor at the organization. The contract must specify what expertise

and services the intern will provide to the organization; what resources, logistic support,

and instruction the organization will provide to the intern; and what evidence of the

academic value of the internship the Academic Advisor will require. The intern, Academic

Advisor, and organizational supervisor, must sign the contract. Contract forms are

available from the Graduate Secretary.

Credit for Internships is variable. It is calculated on the basis of 45 hours of supervised

activity each semester for each credit. COM 624 is graded satisfactory (‘S’) or

Unsatisfactory (‘U’). Normally, the only compensation an intern receives is the academic

credits from the University. However, an organization may be able to provide

compensation to the student or donations to the Department of Communication. In no case

will the Department give academic credit to a student who is a full-time employee at the

organization in which the student wishes to intern, unless the internship responsibilities are

clearly distinct from the intern's normal job function. No academic credit is given to

people for performing their regular jobs.

COM 700 (Thesis Guidance). This course, which is solely for students working on their

dissertations or theses, may not be enrolled in until the semester in which the official

Application to Candidacy is submitted to the Graduate School, and may not be enrolled in

by M.A. students in the Program in Applied Communication. COM 700 is assigned an ‘L’

where "continuing work" is to be indicated instead of a final grade. Upon completion of

the defense of dissertation or thesis and submission of the M-Form to the Graduate School,

the ‘L’ grade converts to ‘S’.

ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE GRIEVANCES

The Department of Communication and the Graduate School encourage the prompt and

informal resolution of grievances as they arise and provide orderly procedures for

resolution of complaints. A full discussion of the established procedures is contained in

the University at Buffalo Graduate School Policies and Procedures at

www.grad.buffalo.edu.

Graduate Handbook

26

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

Master's Candidates Deadlines

During first Fall semester in residence:

1. You must complete COM 500, COM 504, and COM 515. International

students must successfully complete ESL 512 (ESL 512 does not count as

credit toward the Communication degree program).

2. Have any transfer credits approved by your Advisory Committee and

Director of Graduate Studies (see "Transfer Credits").

During second semester in residence:

3. You must complete COM 517 and COM 518.

4. You must select major Advisor and Advisory Committee (see

"Advisement”).

After three semesters:

5. Your Application to Candidacy must be submitted to the Graduate School.

See the Graduate School website, www.grad.buffalo.edu, for deadlines.

6. Have your thesis proposal approved in Thesis Proposal Hearing.

Last semester before graduation, you must successfully have completed

7. A minimum of 36 hours of graduate coursework, including a maximum of

six (6) hours of transfer credits, a minimum of 24 hours in Communication

courses (including COM 500, COM 504, COM 515, COM 517 and COM

518). You must have a minimum QPA of 3.0 in both COM courses and

courses taken outside the department (see "Degree Requirements").

8. The research requirements (see "Research Requirement").

9. Research for thesis and have thesis approved in an Oral Defense-of-Thesis.

10. An M-Form signed by the Director of Graduate Studies (or Department

Chair) and Advisory Committee which the Department will forward to the

Graduate School. You must hand in your completed M-Form by the

deadline date established by Graduate School in January (for February

conferral), in May (for June conferral), and in August (for September

conferral). It is your responsibility to ensure that the M-Form (prepared in

advance by the Graduate Secretary) is signed and submitted before these

deadlines.

11. You must submit one electronic copy of the thesis to the Graduate School

no later than deadline date established by the Graduate School in January

(for February conferral), in May (for June conferral), or in August (for

September conferral).

Graduate Handbook

27

Doctoral Candidates Deadlines

During the first Fall semester in residence:

1. You must complete COM 500, COM 504, and COM 515. International

students must successfully complete ESL 512 (ESL 512 does not count as

credit toward the Communication degree program).

2. Have any transfer credits approved by Advisory Committee and Director of

Graduate Studies (see "Transfer Credits").

During the second semester in residence:

3. You must complete COM 517 and COM 518.

4. You must have selected an Advisor and formed an Advisory Committee

(see "Advisement").

5. Plan a preliminary program of study in consultation with your Advisor and

Advisory Committee.

No later than two semesters before expected date of graduation, you must have:

6. Submitted the Application to Candidacy to the Graduate School. See the

Graduate School website, www.grad.buffalo.edu, for deadlines.

7. Successfully completed (with a QPA of 3.0 or better) 72 graduate semester

hours of coursework, including 50 semester hours of Communication

courses; completion of all program requirements; a minor of at least nine

(9) credit hours (see "Degree Requirements").

8. Successfully completed the instructional requirement (see "Instructional

Requirement").

9. Successfully defended your preliminary examination papers (see

"Preliminary Examination").

10. Formed a Dissertation Advisory Committee. This Committee may be the

same as the Advisory Committee that administered the comprehensive

examination (see "Advisement").

11. Successfully defended a dissertation proposal in a formal Proposal Hearing

(see "Dissertation Proposal Hearing").

One semester prior to expected date of graduation:

1. You must successfully defend the completed dissertation (see "Oral Defense

of Dissertation"), no later than seven weeks prior to the expected date of

graduation.

2. You must ensure the Department of Communication submits your M-Form,

signed by the Dissertation Advisory Committee, and Director of Graduate

Studies (or Department Chair), to the Graduate School in January (for

Graduate Handbook

28

February conferral), in May (for June conferral), or in August (for

September conferral).

3. You must submit one electronic copy of the dissertation and one copy of the

dissertation abstract to the Graduate School no later than deadline date

established by Graduate School in January (for February conferral), in May

(for June conferral), or in August (for September conferral).

In addition to the electronic copy of the dissertation, you must electronically

submit title page and abstract (less than 350 words) with major advisor’s

name and title appearing where appropriate. You may also electronically

submit optional supplementary files and keywords (see

www.grad.buffalo.edu). Survey, microfilm and Student Account forms,

obtained through the Department or directly from the Graduate School are

submitted at this time, as well.

You must present your Major Professor and the Department with a bound

copy of your dissertation.

GRADUATE COURSES

You can find a list of graduate courses offered by the Department of Communication, at

http://www.communication.buffalo.edu/graduate/course_descriptions/

Department of Communication faculty members have expectations associated with the

various types of courses you will enroll in as a part of your academic program. The

communication program is designed to expand your knowledge, research abilities, and

expertise in the field of communication. Success in your academic endeavors can be

enhanced if you observe and adapt to the implicit as well as the explicit expectations for

students in the Department.

Course Formats

Faculty members expect and welcome your questions and active participation inside and

outside class. Communication courses are offered in one of four basic formats: lecture,

discussion, recitation, or seminar. Each format is outlined below:

Lecture – The course format that students are usually most familiar with is

the lecture format. In a lecture course, your professor will instruct you by

talking about a particular subject. That means you should be prepared to

take comprehensive notes, complete reading assignments in advance, and

ask questions. Many introductory classes are offered in this format.

Discussion – A discussion class is one in which you are expected to master

course materials and then engage in an informed debate about the merits of

the points or subject under review. This type of course is one in which you

must be well prepared in advance of each class. Although assignments and

projects are given, your professor will put an emphasis on the quality and

quantity of contributions you make to the class discussions.

Graduate Handbook

29

Recitation – In colleges and schools, a recitation is the rehearsal of a lesson

by students before their instructor. Students should be able to demonstrate

their understanding of course concepts.

Seminar – Students often misunderstand the purpose and structure of the

seminar format. In a seminar, you engage in original research or other

specialized studies related to the course and contribute these ideas to class

discussions. You must be familiar with assigned readings and projects in

order to participate effectively in research and class discussions. Office

hours are provided not only for you to seek clarification about course

concepts, but also for you to explore your course-related research interests.

Finally, no matter what format in which your course is offered, the faculty will provide you

with office hours to discuss your ideas. You can clarify course concepts during office

hours and can seek more information about course-related issues.

Graduate Handbook

30

GRADUATE FACULTY

Ashley Anker, Ph.D., University at Buffalo; Dr. Anker specializes in the area of health communication.

She is particularly interested in the study of prosocial persuasion or how social-psychological theories of

helping can be used to promote altruistic behaviors, such as organ donation.

Mary B. Cassata, Ph.D., Indiana University; Mass Communication. Dr. Cassata is Director of Project

Daytime, which focuses on daytime television serial drama examined from a cultural indicators perspective.

She is no longer accepting new students.

Thomas H. Feeley, Ph.D., (Department Chair) University at Buffalo; Interpersonal and Health

Communication. Dr. Feeley’s research interest is focused in health communication campaigns and health

promotion/health education program evaluation.

Mark G. Frank, Ph.D., Cornell University. Interpersonal Communication. Dr. Frank specializes in

nonverbal communication with a focus on understanding the complexities of facial expressions and deception

in meaningful real world settings.

Melanie C. Green, Ph.D., Ohio State University. Media Effects. Dr. Green's research focuses on the

persuasive effect of narratives, including attitude change for health and social issues. Her research also

examines the effect of technology on interpersonal interactions.

Matthew N. Grizzard, Ph.D., Michigan State University. Media Effects. Dr. Grizzard’s research examines

the cognitive, emotional, and psychobiological effects of media entertainment with a specific emphasis on

how media entertainment exploits evolutionarily-derived psychological processes.

Junhao Hong, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin. International, Intercultural, and Media Studies. Dr.

Hong's research focuses on global communication issues, relationships between media and society in Asian

societies, and how media formations differ in different societies.

Frank E. Tutzauer, Ph.D., Northwestern University; Interpersonal Communication. Dr. Tutzauer's

research interests include bargaining and negotiation, communication networks, and mathematical modeling

of communication processes.

Lance Rintamaki, Ph.D., (Director of Undergraduate Studies) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Rintamaki’s research interests focus on communication in the management of chronic illnesses.

Gregory D. Saxton, Ph.D., (Director of Graduate Studies) Claremont Graduate University. Organizational

Communication. Dr. Saxton's research is in the area of new media and organizational communication, with a

special concentration on nonprofit organizations.

Allison Shaw, Ph.D., Michigan State University. My primary research interests are in interpersonal

communication and social influence/persuasion (both dyadic and group). I am interested in understanding of

the process(es) underlying communication by examining the social, interpersonal, and environmental factors

that affect communication as well as the intrapersonal cognitive and endocrine factors that affect

communication.

Michael Stefanone, Ph.D., (Director of Singapore Program) Cornell University. Dr. Stefanone’s research

interests include computer-mediated communication and emerging social networks.

Arun Vishwanath, Ph.D., University at Buffalo; Information Technology and Marketing. Dr. Vishwanath's

research focuses on understanding, evaluating, and structuring the impact of information in technology

markets, marketing practices, and its resultant impact on consumer behavior.

Helen Hua Wang, Ph.D. , University of Southern California. Technology and Health. Dr. Wang’s research

focuses on the social transformation of communication technologies in everyday life, digital communication

for health promotion, and entertainment-education.

Graduate Handbook

31

Joseph Woelfel, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin; Communication Theory. Dr. Woelfel's research focuses

upon collective cognitive processes and the development of computer software for their analysis.

Janet Z. Yang, Ph.D., Cornell University. Dr. Yang studies risk communication in context of health and

recruitment of individuals for clinical research trials.